While it’s always fun to score a bargain or to get something you really covet on sale, there are times when a gadget or appliance is simply worth the splurge. We review a lot of kitchen tech, appliances, and accessories and these are the ones that have earned a place in our kitchens. Consider them an investment.
Anova Nano is a free-standing sous-vide cooker that can be placed in any pot, pan, or basin. It plugs into the wall and can be controlled via an app. The Nano will heat water to a specified temperature and hold it there for hours, meaning it’s impossible to overcook something. Sous vide cooking ensures your food holds at the optimum temperature so you can make the perfect steak (or a number of other foods) every time.
Tineco’s Toasty One is a smart toaster that detects your bread and adjusts the heat to ensure it comes out perfectly every time. You can even make two pieces of toast at the same time with completely different doneness levels. It has a touchscreen, so you can choose the exact shade of toast you want. It’s not cheap, but it will be a gadget that dazzles your houseguests.
For those on the move, Cuisinart’s Evolution X is a hand-held blender with several different heads for immersion blending, whipping, and even drink frothing. It’s perfect for moving around in the kitchen. Since you don’t need to be tied to a wall outlet, you can mix up batter or quiche anywhere: on the stovetop, or even the dining table. Even if you already have a handheld blender, there are all kinds of reasons why a cordless version comes in handy, particularly for campers and those who own RVs.
A couple of years ago this might have seemed like a silly splurge, but these days it’s a wise investment. Any time we can eliminate touch points we’re avoiding contact with any kind of germs, whether that’s COVID or salmonella. Amazon’s Smart Soap Dispenser is an excellent idea for those with kids or for people who like cleanliness. You can control how much soap it dispenses by how far you place your hands under the spout, and it lights up for 20 seconds (the recommended washing time). You can also use it with your Alexa routines and have it play music.
The rechargeable cordless Looft Lighter X is worth a look if you use a charcoal grill. It’s a unique tool made to both spark up your charcoal fire, and do double duty as a bellows to provide all important oxygen to your grill. Just click it on, touch it to the charcoal, and when the charcoal sparks or begins to glow, you pull the lighter back to provide a wider area of heat and lots of airflow. Within a minute, your charcoal is lit, and you’re off to the races.
The Thermomix TM6 is an all-in-one cooking device; it’s a blender, food processor, cooking pot, rice maker, whip, and steamer. In fact, you can cook an entire meal simultaneously, with the protein grilling above your steamed veggies. It also sous-vides, slow cooks, and even emulsifies. It’s quite pricey, but if you consider that it replaces about a dozen other appliances and gadgets, you’ll be pretty excited to give it a try. Oh, and this “kitchen robot” is all the rage across Europe.
You might think it’s a bit decadent to talk to your tap, but hear us out. U by Moen is a smart faucet that can deliver a precise amount of water on voice command and can be activated by hand movement. It has a setting for wand washing that will keep the faucet running for 20 seconds, pause while you soap up, and continue. Plus, with the ability to set presets to fill your coffee pot or the dog dish, it means no wasted water.
The Joule by Breville is an oven and an air fryer combined. You can activate it by voice, and it has a number of smart functions designed to optimize cooking time. You can also use it to proof dough and dehydrate fruit. The companion app is filled with hundreds of recipes from New York Times Cooking (no subscription required), Top Chef alum, Breville Test Kitchen, and more. Best of all, recipes with a flight plan basically cook themselves. Want to wow your guests? Quickly cook up a batch of delicious croissants that proof and bake themselves to perfection.
With so many amazing gadgets on the market, and new models being introduced all the time, it’s never been easier to incorporate tech in the kitchen. Try out something new and see if it saves you time and money.
Erin has over 20 years of experience as a journalist in the media and news industries, with time both on camera and behind the scenes in network TV production, plus years of writing for blogs,websites, magazines and newspapers.
A renowned storyteller (winner of two Edward R Murrow Awards for Journalism) Erin has covered everything from daily news, to technology, food, travel and architecture and loves to share what she's working on through her blog, TechGadgetsCanada.com, YouTube Channel, Erin Lawrence TV and across social media.
Erin has a Master's Degree in Journalism from Western University in London, and has been named to a Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine. She has minor obsessions with smart lighting, Palm Springs, gemology, and geology.
Few things ruin a quiet evening faster than a robot vacuum roaring through the living room. Most of us end up pausing the cleaning run, which defeats the whole purpose of owning one. Matic thinks it has the answer with its new Serene robot vacuum, and the big selling point is how little noise it makes.
The Matic Serene runs at 52 decibels even when cleaning at full power. To put that in perspective, Matic compares it to the hum of your refrigerator. It is available now for $1,695, which is $200 more than the original Matic’s current price.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.